a loop lighting example

Two weeks ago I went to a photography seminar in Atlanta. I left the kids with my parents and ventured into rush hour traffic around Buckhead on my own. That was an adventure by itself. In addition, lost somewhere along my second loop around the hotel, I fished the seminar ticket out of my camera bag and was horrified to find I’d packed a Dairy Queen blizzard coupon instead. Luckily, they let me in. And I didn’t even have to give up my coupon.

The seminar was great, but when about four different people asked me the next day what I’d learned, I found I could regurgitate very little of it. This I blame on the speaker being not from the South and therefore talking at four times the speed I am used to. It required 100% concentration to keep up, and by 10:00 that night, he started to lose me in earnest. Still, it was an awesome experience that I’m grateful to have had the chance to participate in.

Today I was flipping through the notes I took, and methodically realizing I soaked up more information during those five hours than I previously thought. The number one thing I took away is a better understanding of how to tastefully light a person’s face.

I tend to favor blasting my subjects with light on all sides (example above), treating the shadows as my nemesis. You wouldn’t believe how many pictures I’ve tossed because they were “too dark”. But I’ve come to realize that shadows are real life. Without them, faces start to look unnatural. Manipulated correctly, they can make a flat picture pop.  

This is what I love about photography. There’s always room for improvement, always something to learn. One day I hope I will have enough experience and knowledge to turn a hobby into something more.